Pharmacists go on strike

Dehra Dun, Apr 7 (PTI) Pharmacists working in government hospitals of Uttarakhand today went on a three-day strike demanding salary at par with their counterparts working in central government hospitals. Nearly 1,400 pharmacists stayed away from work causing inconvenience to the patients, who failed to get medicines from the government hospitals, officials said. The spokesman of Uttarakhand Diploma Pharmacist Association S S Chauhan said pharmacists are demanding salary at par with their counterparts working in central government hospitals and transfer of pharmacists to district hospitals from health sub-centres. Chauhan claimed the pay grade of pharmacists working in central government increases to Rs 4,200 from Rs 2,800 in two years' time while in Uttarakhand this period is five years, which is unfair. He said the emergency services have been kept out of strike for three days but if the demands are not met, they would also be affected.